Summer!!!!

nom, nom, nom, summer, nom, nom.

Chick's Drive-In
183 Beach Street
West Haven, CT
(203) 934-4510

Plan B Burger Bar in West Hartford

By: Scott

If you wanted to show a foreign exchange student the essence of the U.S. via food, you would bring them to Plan B Burger Bar in West Hartford for its beer, burgers, and bourbon trifecta. The Burger Bar, perhaps more aptly called a Burger Temple, is a glowing tribute to the All-American classic, and produces a variety of burgers where the emphasis is on the holistic subtlety of the meat and toppings. Not one flavor stands out in any of their custom burger compositions. Instead, all of the components complement each other to form a harmonious and understated gestalt. The focus of the burgers is the actual patty, which scores high marks all areas and are themselves magnificent testaments to the potential of ground meat. Thus, dining at Plan B is a pilgrimage for the hamburger purist.

Top: Baja Burger (all beef patty, fresh avocado, jalapenos, tomato, jack cheese, lettuce, chipotle) with truffle fries. Bottom: 3 Shroom burger (all beef patty, mushrooms, portabella spread, truffle mayo, and Swiss cheese) with mini-wedge salad

The characteristic subtlety is also true of their fries. They use a fine cut for their fries and consistently accomplish a crispy texture, never soggy. The Truffle Fries offer a hint of truffle flavor, although not as powerful as we had hoped. The Parmesan fries are a textural sensation, but without the true Parmesan flavor we craved. The Disco Fries, however, Plan B's take on Canadian poutine, is the overall winner in our book. How Plan B manages to create a delicate dish out of the traditionally messy combo of French fries, gravy, and cheese sauce is bewildering, but we sure are happy they've done it. Plan B also offers tater-tots, sweet potato fries, green bean fries (basically green beans flash fried), onion rings, and side salads. We've sampled a few items from their appetizer menu, including what amounted to blue cheese nachos, and we've never been disappointed (except by the fact that we usually can't finish our burgers!).

Cuban Burger(ground pork, bacon, spicy mustard, cheddar and pickles on a grilled bun) with disco fries

If you're a hamburger buff, you really need no other reason to go, but for all those who aren't convinced, there is also a rotating seasonal beer menu (domestic beers only), a few vegetarian options, a few diet-conscious options, large salads, a mac & cheese that is to die for, and an atmosphere that is at the same time humble and sophisticated, making Plan B good for a quick bite or a night out.

New Englander Burger (all beef patty, lobster, smoked Gouda cheese, roasted onions, corn spread) with Parmesan fries

Renee’s go-to burger is the New Englander, an all beef burger topped with lobster, smoked gouda, roasted onions and a corn spread. She says that the sweetness of the lobster offers a surprising balance to the beef patty. Scott prefers the Cuban (ground pork, bacon, spicy mustard, cheddar and pickles on a grilled bun) and the Squeeler (a half pork, half beef patty with bacon, cheese, lettuce, pickles, tomato, mustard, and mayo).

3 things we like:
1. The variety of options for burgers, fries, sides, and a rotating beer menu means endless possibilities and endless excuses to go back.
2. The atmosphere of the restaurant is both upscale and laid-back.
3. When Renee is babysitting in West Hartford, she can always lure Scott to come visit by offering to go to Plan B.

3 things we don't like:
1. The name sounds like an emergency contraceptive.
2. Food (including meat patty) tends to be undersalted. Fear not, Plan B chefs! Salting the burger will not destroy the taste of the meat! See this very important article for more information.
3. Scott understands the whole Americana themes but thinks it wouldn't kill them to offer a few import beers. Every once and a while, burgers call for a Guinness.

Will we go back?
Well, we pretty much go all the time. :)

Plan B Burger Bar
138 Park Road
West Hartford, CT
(860) 231-1199
http://www.planbburger.com/flash.html Check out their menu and awards! Yum!

NYC Food Porn

Though Connecticut does have a lot to offer, as dedicated foodies, we take frequent trips to New York City. I finally uploaded the random photos from my iPhone and camera from the past few months, so here are some pictures of food we've enjoyed while in the city. I'm not going to review any of the restaurants here, since this is a blog about Waterbury, but suffice it to say that all are recommended! Enjoy!


Shabu Tatsu, East Village
http://shabutatsueastvillage.com/

Garnishes for Shabu Shabu at Shabu Tatsu

Seafood Hot Pot from Shabu Tatsu

A round of beer at McSorley's Ale House, East Village
http://www.mcsorleysnewyork.com/

Fry flipping at Pommes Frites, East Village
http://www.pommesfrites.ws/

The Woodie Allen Sandwich, Carnegie Deli

Blueberry Blintzes, Carnegie Deli
http://www.carnegiedeli.com/home.php

Cretan Graviera, Feta & Tomato Saganaki, Uncle Nick's Greek Cuisine, Hell's Kitchen
http://unclenicksgreekrestaurant.com/

I think this was an appetizer special at Uncle Nick's. It was delicious.

Daisy Mae's BBQ, Midtown West
http://www.daisymaysbbq.com/

Daisy Mae's

Rueben from unknown deli near Times Square (Can't remember!)

Patsy's Pizza, Harlem
http://www.patsyspizzeriany.com/

Some sort of late night indulgence, Big Nick's, Upper West Side
http://bignicksnyc.com/

Salumeria Rosi, Upper West Side
http://www.salumeriarosi.com/

Cured meat plate from Salumeria Rosi

Cheese plate from Salumeria Rosi

Octopus Salad and Shrimp Cocktail, Umberto's Clam House, Bronx
http://www.umbertosclamhousebronx.com/

Yonah Schimmels Knishery, Lower East Side
http://www.knishery.com/

Cheese Knish from Yonah Schimmels

Smoked fish at Russ & Daughters, Lower East Side
http://www.russanddaughters.com/

Smoked fish bagel from Russ & Daughters...so worth the $

We're in NYC all the time, so we'd love to hear your recommendations!

"Please, May I Have a Bite?"

A Plea

Dear Waterbury,

Please open up a restaurant that has a decent raw bar. Scott and I have recently become really addicted, and we are tired of traveling to West Hartford (Max's Oyster House) and NYC. Also, we tried to open our own clams from Big Y ourselves and I almost cut my hand off.

Thanks,
Renee & Scott












Umberto's Clam House, Arthur Ave, Bronx

Rant of Devastation/Frustration

Sorry for ranting, but I need to get it off my chest...

Here at Waterbury Foodies, we like to paint a picture of a socially and culturally diverse Waterbury. But every once in a while, things happen that make us curse the very city of our birth, and last night was no exception. Scott was dying for Los Arcos tacos, so we stopped by to see our good friend Paula. We hadn't been in a while, both because we are on diets and because I was in Ecuador. The outside looked a little different, and when we went inside, we realized that Los Arcos was no more, the family was forced to sell the business. No more tacos, no more chats with Paula and the kids, no more mole. The new owners were selling only some groceries, no fresh food. I was so upset that I almost cried. Although I no longer had an appetite, Scott suggested that we go to the Peruvian Corner to cheer me up. Approaching the Peruvian Corner, I noticed unfamiliar colors...A PUERTO RICAN BAKERY?!?! This one was a real shocker. I knew Los Arcos was struggling, but the Peruvian Corner was hands down one of the best restaurants in Waterbury. I WAS DEVASTATED. I know I should be at least thankful that they have been replaced by other cultural food places, but it kills me to see them go. You can argue that the economy is to blame, and it is, in part. But what I will never understand about Waterbury is why places like that fail so miserably, meanwhile there are lines outside of Chili's and The Olive Garden. It actually disgusts me. Do people not appreciate real food and diversity? How could the Olive Garden even EXIST in a city with the largest Italian American population in the state and more Italian restaurants than you can shake a fist at? I cannot for the life of me understand the mentality. Are people afraid to try something new? What is wrong with this city that it falls into the trap of commercialization, chain restaurants, and a billion cell phone stores, all the while letting local businesses suffer? It really makes me ill. And do you know what makes me even more ill? Last night we ended up eating at Brass City Bistro, which is celebrating its one year anniversary. We ordered 1 drink each and two appetizers, and it cost us $50, which is about 6 times what we would have spent at Los Arcos for a much better and more filling dinner. Additionally, Brass City Bistro is not even a bistro, it's horrendously overpriced. The food was decent, but their menu was EXACTLY THE SAME as every other Vasi's/Mario's/Bacco's/Diorio's/Nino's/San Marino's/Gagliardi's/Aldo's of Italy/City Hall Cafe/Ragozzino's/D'Amelio's/Paisano's/La Tavola/Grotto's/Bertucci's/Pizza Castle/Carmen Anthony's. BRANCH OUT, PEOPLE. With minor exceptions and slight variation, these places all have THE SAME MENU. Is no one else's palate sick of it?

Okay, phew, I'm glad I got that out. And BCB, sorry for hating on your restaurant, your food was actually pretty tasty (or what I could afford of it anyway) and your waitstaff was gracious and helpful. You just caught me at the worst possible moment, at the height of my frustration with the Waterbury food scene and commerce culture. Tonight I will dust myself off and try to get excited about Waterbury food again...

Foods of Ecuador!

Ensalada de camarones

Waterbury and its 'burbs are experiencing a recent increase in Ecuadorian immigration, so I thought I would post a few pics from my recent trip to Ecuador, where I did some work in Emergency Medicine. I didn't get to eat out nearly as much as I hoped to, but here are some highlights. I hope to find an Ecuadorian restaurant in CT soon!

Encocado de mariscos

Ceviche mixto con patacones

Ceviche de corvina con patacones

Limones

Desayuno criollo (con pescado, huevos, y bolon)

Gaseosa de inca, fresa, y manzana

Humitas

Empanadas

Bollo

Tigrillo

Bolon de verde

Paradilla mixta (Yes, I ate intestines and kidney!)

Mixed Ecuadorian fruits

Inside a granadilla

Ecuadorian fruits

Cazuela de mariscos

Arroz con camarones y maduros

Cangrejo ajillo

If you can't find Ecuadorian food near you, you can always make your own! I suggest you visit one of my very favorite food blogs, which has loads of great Ecuadorian recipes and mouth-watering photos: http://laylita.com/recipes/

CT Magazine's Best Restaurants Issue

Ladies and Gentlemen, this year's Connecticut Magazine's "Best Restaurants" issue is on bookshelves. No real surprises this year, I think. Overall excellence winner went to Napa & Co. in Stamford, reflecting the new foodie trend towards local, organic foods, and Runner-up was Union League Cafe in New Haven, an old classic. The Waterbury area was a little less represented than I would like it to be, but isn't that always the case? Our notable winners included:

Statewide Best New Restaurant Winner: La Tavola in Waterbury (Congrats!!!)
Statewide Winner Best Steak Restaurant: Carmen Anthony Steakhouse in Waterbury(no surprise here)

The New Haven County Dining Guide section did feature a few of our other favorites, including New Haven restaurants like Bentara, Bespoke, Caseus, L'Orcio, Miya's Sushi (this year's Valentine's dinner), Pacifico (last year's Valentine's dinner), and Thali. The only other Waterbury restaurant noted was Diorio's (our very first Valentine's dinner, cute, I know). So we are a little disappointed. While we agree that the Waterbury food scene could be better, we think there are restaurants that deserved to make the cut much more than Señor Pancho's of Cheshire, which won some award.

So here is the Renee and Scott list of "Waterbury Restaurants that we think Connecticut Magazine should pay more attention to next year":

Drescher's Restaurant (German)
Peruvian Corner Restaurant (Peruvian)
Kumo Japanese Cuisine (Japanese/French)
Lisboa Restaurant (Portuguese)
Frankie's/Big Franks (Hot dogs and BBQ)
Vasi's (Greek/Italian)
Avventura's (Italian Deli and the first place I take my non-Waterbury friends when they visit)
Nardelli's (Grinders)
Anatolia's (Turkish)
Sweet Maria's (Bakery, I know it's not a restaurant, but sometimes dessert can be dinner)


By the way, we just wanted to mention that recently Waterbury has begun to show yet another side of its cultural diversity with the opening of Fattoush Restaurant and Market (an Arabic/Lebanese Restaurant and Market) and Quick Falafel. Scott and I can't wait to get out and try both, and you should too!

East Side Restaurant in New Britain

"Noisy" dining area. Hanging from the ceiling are the mugs that belong to members of the "Mug Club."

New Britain reminds me of Waterbury in a lot of ways. It, like Waterbury, "the Brass City," is an ex-manufacturing/industrial town, affectionately known as "Hardware City." Both cities have fallen into a bit of urban decay in recent years, with new nicknames reflecting the decline, such as "The Dirty Waters" and "Hard Hittin' New Britain." But I think the most interesting thing that both cities share is tremendous cultural diversity. I'll get into the diversity of Waterbury in another post, but one only needs to stroll down Broad Street in New Britain to appreciate its various cultural and ethnic influences. New Britain is home to the largest Polish community in the state on Connecticut. In fact, New Britain Hospital is the only place in the world I've seen signs in English, Spanish, and Polish. In recent decades, there has also been an explosion of Puerto Ricans moving into New Britain, making New Britain the city with the 7th fastest growing Puerto Rican population in the United States, and inciting a change from the old nickname, "New Britski" (reflecting the large Polish population) to "Nuevo Britain" (reflecting the large Spanish speaking population). New Britain is also home to a wealth of other ancestries, among them Italian, Irish, French, and German.

Beer sampler platter

Anyplace where you find that many cultures melting together you are sure to find some good eats. Now I have to admit that I have not visited many of New Britain's restaurants, but when I saw the sign for East Side's German restaurant on I-84, I knew I had to go. Scott loves German food and beer, and has been dying to go to Oktoberfest for years. Now New Britain is no Munich, but East Side restaurant was certainly a memorable experience nonetheless...

Appetizers: Stuffed mushrooms and bratwurst

Atmosphere:
The idea behind East Side Restaurant is to recreate the camaraderie (and debauchery) of Oktoberfest, complete with lederhosen, accordions, and "Ticky Tocky" chants. This is not your typical restaurant. A visit to the East Side's website is a good way to get an idea of what you're in for. The dancing and singing German men on the screen will actually be at the restaurant, may try to get you to wear a ridiculous hat, and will undoubtedly make the entire restaurant chant "Ticky-Tocky, Ticky-Tocky, Oy! Oy! Oy!" if you order a large beer or a das boot. Some might find the atmosphere a little cheesy, but we actually had a good time. It isn't a place you go for a romantic date, certainly, but I think that it is absolutely perfect for a large group of friends that are looking to just let go and have a good time.

Our beers, bread, and salad

Service:
Not going to lie, the service was not spectacular. Most of the waitresses are actually German (we heard them speaking German) and are probably not too happy about having to wear traditional dirndls. But it's hard to even notice the service with all of the excitement going on. The food came out in a timely fashion, and they were very nice when I had to send my filet mignon back because it was literally still mooing. Incidentally, this was the first time I ever had to send meat back for being too rare, so caution if you plan on ordering red meat here, they err on the side of rare. And I'm a poet and I didn't know-it.

German onion soup, slaw, and cottage cheese spread

Food:
So given the dinner-theater feel of this place, we had pretty low expectations for the food. Boy, were we wrong. The food was amazing. We started off with 2 of the beer samplers so we could decide what kind of beer we would have. The waitresses brought out a cottage cheese spread and slaw that are served with crackers. After deciding on the (giant) Spaten Oktoberfest and Franziskaner Hefe-Weiss, we thought we would try some appetizers. The stuffed mushrooms were different than any stuffed mushrooms I've had. They were barely cooked, so retained some crunch, and had a crunchy crabmeat filling with a white wine butter sauce that I soaked up with bread. The burgermeister plate was a simple but delicous bratwurst over sauerkraut, which Scott devoured. We didn't realize that at East Side, entrees come with soup AND salad, so next up came a German onion soup, which reminded me a bit of French onion soup minus the bread and cheese, and a fresh salad. They also served a house made bread which I believe had some fennel seeds baked into the dough. Yum. The entrees are served with family-style corn and some sort of turnip/carrot mash. I didn't actually eat much of my filet mignon until the next day (because I was so stuffed), but it was pretty good. Scott's prime rib, however, was definitely the best prime rib I have ever tasted in my life. It was perfectly soft and flavorful, and will be my first choice when we go back. Overall, we ate more food than I care to admit. East Side is big on both portions and flavor, and provided us with one of the best and most filling dinners we've had in a long time. I cannot speak for the authenticity of the menu items, as I am not very familiar with German food, but many dishes sounded unique and interesting, and we are excited to back and try more!

Scott's Prime Rib

Overall: An awesome restaurant if you love good food, good beer, and German culture, and especially good for large and rowdy groups. It is a tad on the expensive side, but the quality of food makes it worth every penny.

Renee's 3 Favorite Things:
1. Scott's prime rib :)
2. Beer selection was impressive
3. The value. You get tons of food, all great quality, for your money. It's a little expensive, but worth it. There is also good attention to detail for such a busy restaurant.

Scott's 3 Favorite Things:
1. Beer quality/selection
2. Size of the beer
3. The amount of food you get!

Will we go back?
New Britain is a little out of the way, and East Side is a bit pricey, but we look forward to going back relatively soon with a large group of people.

East Side Restaurant
131 Dwight St
New Britain, CT 06051
(860) 223-1188
http://www.eastsiderestaurant.com/